State Highway 1 to close alongside Lake Taupō for crucial work

Upcoming roadworks on State Highway 1 (SH1) near Halletts Bay, between Taupō and Tūrangi, will mean that road users need to plan ahead to ensure they avoid road closure periods.

Road rehabilitation work is scheduled to commence on Tuesday 30 January 2024 and will take approximately 5 days to complete (weather permitting). 

As the worksite is located at a narrow section of road, there is not room for both machinery and cars side by side. The only option is to close the road for periods of time to complete the work, says Andrew Oakley, System Manager at NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA).

“The 330m section of road needs to be reconstructed, as the underlying layers of the road have reached the end of their useful life. Unfortunately, a closure of the road is the only safe way to complete this.

“We have worked with our contractors to minimise disruption as much as possible. Starting Tuesday 30 January, the road will be closed between 9am and 2:30pm and will operate under stop/go traffic management between 7:00am and 9:00am, and again from 2:30pm until 7:00pm for commuter traffic.“

Outside these hours the road will be open to traffic travelling in both directions, with a temporary speed limit in place.

This sequence will be in place Tuesday to Friday, with Saturday as a contingency day if required. Monday 5 February the road will be open under stop/go traffic management.

Foam Bitumen Stabilisation, an innovative construction method which recycles existing material from the road and mixes it with bitumen, is being used to minimise the time spent fixing the road surface.

“We appreciate that this work is disruptive to both local residents and business owners, as well as those taking longer journeys. This work was postponed due to Cyclone Gabrielle last summer and is now urgent.

“We’ve chosen an option that reduces disruption as much as possible, while providing a great outcome for road users moving forward,” says Mr Oakley.

At the same time, we will also be taking the opportunity to complete other maintenance and renewals activities. This includes road surface repairs at Waitahanui (from Awhi Road to south of Wairau Avenue). Other works will be completed using appropriate traffic management, and temporary speed limits will be in place as required.

Road users intending to travel during the closure period will need to plan ahead to ensure they reach their destination on time.

Residents and those travelling to or from properties within the closure will be able to get through as required. Other road users will need to use State Highway SH41 & SH32 then on to local roads of Poihipi and Wairakei Dr to travel around the lake and vice versa. 

Road users should also be aware that there will be night-time closures on SH1 through the Desert Road coming up later in the summer. The exact timing and location of these works will be communicated as soon as they are confirmed.

There will be signage in place for road users to ensure they can take the most efficient route to their destination. The NZTA Journey Planner (www.journeys.nzta.govt.nz(external link)) is also a great resource showing all roadworks and incidents on the network, which will help everyone get to their destination at the right time.

A table of the traffic management for Halletts Bay is as follows:

View larger map of the Taupō detour route [PDF, 404 KB]